Lionel Messi's World Cup career now includes 20 goals, a new all-time record, at age 39. He also became the first player to make 30 appearances at the tournament. His latest goal, against Cabo Verde, came in the 29th minute and extended a scoring run across eight consecutive World Cup matches.
Messi's tally spans six World Cups, though he has scored in five: one goal in 2006, none in 2010, four in 2014, one in 2018, seven in 2022 and seven so far in 2026. He had 13 goals after the 2022 tournament. In the reported 2026 sequence, a brace against Austria took him to 18, a free kick against Jordan brought his tally to 19, and his strike against Cabo Verde made it 20. His goals in this edition also include a hat-trick against Algeria. ANI reported the Cabo Verde key stage, citing football statistics analyst Opta Paolo.
Messi's seven goals in both 2022 and 2026 also make him the first player reported to have reached that mark in two separate World Cup editions. Kylian Mbappé has 18 career World Cup goals across three tournaments: four in 2018, eight in 2022 and six so far in 2026. At this tournament, he has scored twice each against Senegal, Iraq and Sweden. Behind Messi and Mbappé in the all-time men's standings are Miroslav Klose with 16 goals, Ronaldo Nazário with 15 and Gerd Müller with 14.
The eight-match scoring streak began in the 2022 knockout rounds, when Messi scored against Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia and France. It continued in 2026 with goals against Algeria, Austria, Jordan and Cabo Verde. The run tops the six-match benchmark associated with Just Fontaine and Jairzinho. Fontaine remains the single-edition record holder, with 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup. Messi's seven in 2026 leave that mark as his next major scoring target.
Argentina's bid to defend its 2022 title has unfolded alongside the shifting scoring race between Messi and Mbappé. After Argentina's win over Austria, Messi said: “We are Argentina and we are going to look for matches against any opponent.” His pursuit of Fontaine's tournament record gives the remaining matches an individual key stage, while the contest with Mbappé adds another strand to the tournament's story.
Recent World Cup coverage has also highlighted other basic matches, including the USA's impressive group-stage encounter with Australia, which drew attention because of unexpected squad changes and Pulisic's absence. Details of that match can be found in this report on the USA's decisive clash with Australia.
Messi's achievements reflect exceptional longevity across six World Cup campaigns, as expanded formats give teams more matches. His 20-goal career total and 30 appearances place him at the center of the competition's record book. The eight-match scoring streak, along with his seven-goal 2026 campaign, keeps Fontaine's single-edition mark in view.
